DD COUNCIL MEMBER SPOTLIGHT // NEW COUNCIL MEMBER — ROB ROOZEBOOM

Thursday, August 15, 2019

The Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council is a federally funded state agency that advocates for the creation of services and supports that allow Iowans with developmental disabilities to make choices, take greater control of their lives, exercise their rights as citizens and participate fully in society. Council members and staff participate in forums, on committees and in work groups. They also develop written materials and responses, meet with legislators and collaborate with other organizations to create positive results for Iowans with disabilities. One of those Council members is Rob Roozeboom.

Roozeboom lives in Sheldon, Iowa, with his wife, Sharla, who is a kindergarten teacher. They have three kids: a son, Jager (16), and two daughters, Riley (14) and Aidan (12).

Roozeboom started a nonprofit 18 years ago called RISE Ministries. Under RISE Ministries, Roozeboom hosts a Christian music festival in Sheldon each summer called RiseFest, where 16,000 festival-goers come together over two days from all over the U.S. Roozeboom states, “I love to travel, go boating, help any way I can on the farm, spend time with my family and do lots of other things. I’m 43 years old and live with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, so from a physical perspective I understand the challenges of a disability. I was diagnosed at five and have watched it progress throughout the years. Currently, it is incurable.” Roozeboom shares, “I chose the DD Council because it’s what I have the most experience in —living with a progressive, incurable disease. I’m excited to be a DD Council member because for the last 20 years I’ve wanted to make a difference in the lives of others, and I’m sure hoping by serving on this council I’ll be able to do that!”

This project was supported, in part by grant number 1801ABSDD, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.